Outdoor grilling systems which primarily utilize infrared radiant energy for cooking food items are known in the art. The beneficial results which these systems are capable of providing over conventional convective grills are also well known. However, there are various shortcomings which are often associated with the current infrared grilling systems.
Consequently, a continuing need exists for improved cooking grate structures or assemblies for infrared grills which will: (a) allow lower cost burners or other heating elements to be used for providing excellent infrared cooking results, (b) reduce or eliminate flare-ups, (c) greatly reduce the preheating time required to reach cooking temperature, and (d) rapidly provide high contacting temperatures for searing the food product and producing attractive grill marks. In addition, a continuing need exists for improved infrared cooking systems which will (1) provide increased thermal efficiency and/or (2) provide and transmit a high percentage of infrared cooking energy to the food product.
A prior art infrared grill 2 for outdoor cooking is depicted in FIG. 1. The prior art grill 2 allows the use of simple low-cost burner elements and is also somewhat effective for reducing flare-ups. The prior art grill 2 comprises: a grill housing 4; a pivotable lid or other cover 6 for opening and closing the top of the grill housing 4; one or more, typically two or three, tube burner elements 8 extending through the housing 4 from the front 10 of the housing to the back 12 thereof; a deep concave emitter tray 14 which is positioned above the burner elements 8 and extends laterally across the width of the housing 4 from the left side to the right side thereof; and an open food support grate 16 positioned in the top opening 15 of the housing 4 above the concave emitter tray 14.
As seen in the front to back cross-sectional view provided in FIG. 1, the prior art concave emitter tray 14 used in the grill 2 is a deep tray wherein: the lowest point 18 of the concave upper surface 20 of the prior art tray 14 is at or near the cross-sectional midpoint of the tray 14; the emitter tray 14 has front and back edges 22 and 24 which are elevationally positioned substantially at the top opening of the housing 4; the food support grate 16 has front 26 and back 28 ends which are supported respectively on the front and back edges 22 and 24 of the concave emitter tray 14; and the front and back edges 22 and 24 of the emitter tray 14 are supported at or near the upper opening of the housing 4 by support prongs (not shown) such that an elongate lateral front gap 30 and an elongate lateral back gap 32 are provided between (a) the elongate front and back edges 22 and 24 of the emitter tray and (b) the front and back walls 10 and 12 of the housing 4. Combustion gases generated by burner elements 8 flow upwardly through the front and back lateral gaps 30 and 32 when the grill is in operation.
Each of the tube burner elements 8 used in the prior art grill 2 has two rows 33 of fuel ejection ports which run along both the left and the right sides of the tube element 8 thereof for producing a horizontal row of flames on each side of the burner element 8. As is also typical in gas-powered grills, each of the burner elements 8 is part of a burner assembly which comprises: a fuel supply line 34 for delivering propane or other suitable gas fuel from a fuel tank or other fuel source (not shown); a control knob 36 for selectively controlling the fuel rate and for shutting off the flow of fuel to the burner element 8; and a venturi element or other air induction or injection device 38 for drawing or injecting air into the burner element 8 for mixture with the fuel. Slots or other openings 40 are formed in the firebox bottom wall 42 of the housing 4 beneath the burner elements 8 for providing secondary air for the burners.
Due to its concave shape, the prior art emitter tray 14 of the cooking grill 2 is effective for providing a more uniform distribution of infrared radiant cooking energy in the cooking plane on top of the food support grate 16. However, during cooking, fat drippings may at times remain on the trough 14 so that the fat will ignite and flare up when cooking at a sufficiently high temperature to leave sear marks on the product. Moreover, when cooking at low temperature, the fat may at times accumulate in the bottom of the concave tray 14 such that the accumulated grease can catch fire if the temperature of the grill 2 is raised, for example, for thermally cleaning the emitter tray 14.
Although the prior art grill 2 has provided significant benefits and improvements to the industry, an entirely satisfactory solution for addressing the flare-up and fat accumulation problems encountered with the prior art concave emitter tray 14 has not yet been developed. For example, placing one or more drainage holes in the bottom of the prior art concave emitter tray 14 in order to drain the fat therefrom would be problematic in that (a) the flow of air upwardly through the drainage holes would promote the ignition of the fat on the tray and increases flare-up intensity while the food is being cooked and (b) fat flowing through the holes would ignite and flare upwardly within the firebox housing 4 against the bottom of the concave emitter 14.
Consequently, a continuing need exists for a more effective infrared cooking grate system which will provide superior radiant flux distribution in the cooking plane while at the same time substantially eliminating the occurrence of flare-ups both on top of and below the grate assembly.